Halo: Spartan Strike Launches on iOS, Windows Phone

Microsoft has released Halo: Spartan Strike on iOS and Windows Phone devices. This followup to Halo: Spartan Assault was developed by 343 Industries, in conjunction with Vanguard Games, and is a top-down shooter, challenging players to complete 30 missions that begin during the events of Halo 2 on New Mombasa in 2552.

In each mission of Halo: Spartan Strike, players use a virtual joystick for movement, and tap and drag their finger to aim and fire their weapon. Gamers can toggle their active weapon and grenade types by tapping on the top right corner of the screen, and players can collect additional ammo, or entirely new weapons, from fallen enemies or lockers in the environment.

Gamers will face off against both Covenant and Promethean forces during missions, and will earn medals as they perform kill streaks and other impressive actions. Players earn up to three stars on each mission, depending on their high score, and will also receive Credits used to purchase better weapons and boosters (like damage or score boosters) for future missions.

Each mission contains secondary Assault Ops, which reward players with bonus Credits upon completion. These mainly focus on killing specific kinds of enemies with equally specific weapons (for instance, kill six Elites with an assault rifle). Separate, overall Assault Ops are part of the game’s weekly challenges, giving players more to shoot for while playing.

Gamers can compare their high score with other players, and keep track of their earned medals and achievements between missions. For Windows Phone players, earning these achievements includes an extra perk, as they can eventually unlock an exclusive emblem, nameplate and avatar for Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One.